Always, Rika, Always.
by Ruby Youkai
Summary: It's been on my mind lately, so I decided to go through with it. It's a Rika (AKA Rita) and Mr. Terada fic. It's not sick at all and is actually kinda sweet. Please R+R!


Always, Rika, Always.

By: Sammie AKA Ruby Moon

((A/N Call it PMS, but I am in a seriously depressed mood. HEY HEY, like my new name? Ruby Moon...lol...HEY! yet another fanfic idea, an Eriol/Ruby fanfic! *swetdrops* I'm rambling aren't I? for those of you who CAN'T pinpoint this increasingly lame writing style, I'm Sammie...*looks around* doesn't sound familiar? Oh, well. Anyway, on with the fanfic! THE FIRST AND MOST ORIGINAL RIKA/MR TERADA FANFIC! oh, BTW...i'm VERY tempted to do a Madison/Tory fanfic...*swetdrops* Yes, a Madison/Tory fanfic. SOMEONE GET ME SOME PSYCHOLOGICAL HELP! Alright, a little history lesson first. Rika and Mr. Terada are engaged...in the manga or whatever I'm sooo not sure. But...they are...so...:P this really isn't preverted even though at first glance it might seem like that...it's not like i'm gonna make 'em kiss or anything *shudders* that would be sick.))

Rika hissed through her teeth...anger sweeping through her mind. For the normally sweet and caring girl, it was a strange feeling.

But she still had it, there was no denying.

Why HER!? Why HER!? What's SHE got that I don't!? Rika seethed in her mind. Of course, she didn't know what Sakura Kinamoto had that she didn't, and it drove her crazy...of course, SAKURA always was in the spotlight, SAKURA was always in the highway of popularity. It drove Rika crazy with envy, as it did almost every other girl in Tomoeda Elementary.

Rika cast a look at Meilin. The poor girl had given up winning Syoaran's affections...Rika almost felt sorry for her. But she was sure that if Meilin was hanging on Syoaran's arm the way Sakura was Rika would be seething in rage at her, too.

It wasn't official, Syoaran and Sakura's pair-up...but it was obvious. But as long as it wasn't OFFICIAL she had a chance.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Rika threw down her hat on the bathroom sink and glared at her reflection.

Great, how's he supposed to be attracted to THAT!?

Rika's slightly curly mahogany hair fell just below her chin as always, perfectly matching her eyes. She had done everything to herself and yet nothing worked!

How Rika hated her plain haircut, and her plain eyes...why couldn't she have sparkly green ones like Sakura's? Or glossy brown hair, like...Sakura's. Why was she so pale and plain-looking? Rika hissed angrily, twisting her hat in her sweating palms...teeth gritted in a look of pure frustration and anger, something rare for Rika.

"Hey, Rika! Are you OK?" Chiharu asked, coming out of a bathroom stall.

Rika gasped, startled. She dropped her hat.

"Oh...I'm fine." she said, retrieving her fallen belonging.

"it didn't look like that. What's wrong?"

"Schoolwork a little stressful."

"hmmm...you really seemed to ace that test when Sakura and Tomoyo helped you study...HEY! there's an idea! Why don't' you, me, Sakura, and Tomoyo meet at the library to study!?"

Rika doubted she had the willpower to say no to one of her best friends...

so she resigned herself to an afternoon of jealousy.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"All right, Rika...what's 9 devided by 3?" Sakura asked over her study book.

Rika looked at the floor and temperamentally mumbled "I don't' know."

"Oh, come on Rika! You have to at least TRY!...oh, Hi Syoaran!"

Rika's gaze shot up to see Syoaran staring down at Sakura, a small smile playing about both of their faces as they exchanged greetings.

Tomoyo and Chiharu looked at each other and stifled giggles.

Syoaran leaned over and whispered something into Sakura's ear.

Rika barely noticed Meilin as the other girl pulled a book out of a shelf...holding it to her chest tightly as if it was some kind of seal that would prevent her heart from shattering.

Rika's heart was already shattered.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Hey, Rika! We're not done studying, where are you going!?" Tomoyo asked, worried.

Rika slung her backpack over her shoulder and slapped on her hat, muttering some lame excuse about being able to study better at home. With that she walked out the door, quickly so as no one could see her tears.

*~*~*~*~*~~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Sakura shot a quick look over at Rika. Her friend hadn't spoken much after the library incident...not like she spoke much at all, but...still...Rika sat away from the group, mostly alone...eating her lunch while swinging back and fourth on the playground set...a slow and monotonous movement.

"What's wrong with her? Chiharu? Tomoyo...do any of you know what's bothering Rika-san!?"

"No...not me."

"Neither do I." Muttered Chiharu around a mouthful of food.

"I'm worried...she's not like this. SOMETHING is bothering her." Sakura said, a little too loudly.

Rika suddenly shot Sakura a look that bore both resentment and annoyence and jelousy.

Sakura shied slightly, a little shocked. Rika snorted and stood up, pointedly making her way AWAY from the group.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Now, Rika...I want to talk to you about your grades." Mr. Yoshiyuki Terada said in his stern yet gentle voice. Rika let her eyes shift slightly as she looked up at him, her head still bowed...almost as if she was afraid of his words...as if his words hurt her physically.

"Y-yes Mr. Terada." She whispered.

"Rika, if you do not improve, and drastically, you will have to be held back for one year."

Rika flinched "I'm sorry Mr. Terada, I'll work harder."

"Now, where have I heard that before?" he muttered, resting his chin on his hands.

Rika held back tears.

Mr. Terada gently lifted Rika's chin to look seriously into her big and watery brown eyes.

"Look, Rika...there's something bothering you. Tell me."

"I just dont' see why I have to do these things!" She lied.

"I see." He said, leaning back into his chair. Mr. Terada thought for a little while...

A still, tense silence fell over them...Rika held her breath, almost afraid to make the slightest move...

"All right, Rika...here's what we'll do."

Rika sighed a breath of relief.

"Now, I'll cut your schoolwork in half FOR THIS WEEK ONLY." He finished his sentence before she could cut him short.

Rika gazed up at him, actual happiness etched on her face.

"But, what I want you to do is find SOMETHING that interests you, something educational. Weather it be reading, or speech, or art...bring it to my attention before signing up, understood?"

Rika smiled....then thought a few seconds "Why are you doing this for me, Mr. Terada?"

"Just to get your mind started. It works for me when I need a mental jump start."

"really!? What do YOU do?"

He laughed "Believe it or not I practice Chinese Calligraphy and Archery."

"Wow...do you think I can try those too?"

"Yes, but I want you to consider each choice carefully...you can go now."

Rika jumped up and bowed respectfully "Thank you again, Mr. Terada."

He smiled "It's my job."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Rika hummed as she looked through various fliers she gathered from the school's buliten board.

"Hey, Rika! can I talk to you? Ask you something!?"

Rika stopped in her tracks. Was that who she thought it was!?

Syoaran fell into step beside her. "Rika, did you hear me?"

Rika nodded, her throat going dry.

Li started fidgeting...staring at his hands as they folded and unfolded the hem of his shirt.

"Well...you see, I really like this girl...and and I think she likes me..."

Rika started to blush.

"But, y'see...I haven't officialy TOLD her yet...and I can never seem to tell her...so can you stick this note in her locker for me? because if I get caught doing it...well..." he shoved the note into Rika's hand. "Thanks so much!" with that he ran off.

Rika's hands moved slowly and unsteadily as she unfolded the note. The patterns of a cherry blossom danced elegantly along the smooth surface of the paper...she slowly read the neat and carefully thought-out words...

Dear Sakura,

Well, we've known each other for some time now...and I just wanted to tell you how I really felt.

I love you Sakura Kinamoto. I always have and I always will. I just hope you can return my feelings for you.

Truely Yours Forever,

Love,

Syoaran Li.

Rika gasped and re-read the note twice. It almost slipped from her hands...

So he loved SAKURA,

not Rika.

Sakura.

Syoaran and Sakura.

Not Syoaran and Rika.

Rika's heart broke. She held her hand over her chest...almost crying out in pain.

She leaned up against a wall...tears flowing down her cheeks.

So he loved Sakura.

Not Her.

Not Rika.

Rika felt her mind go blank with the sudden pain and horror.

But her young and fragile heart made her hurt so much.

Rika looked at the note, now shaking in her sweating palms. She quickly folded it up again and made her way to the classrooms.

Then she stopped.

Fate was in her hands.

She could throw the note away...

She could pretend she had given it to Sakura, and maybe it got lost.

Or she could give the note, like she was supposed to...

and loose her true love.

Rika turned around, her eyes dead set on the trash.

but then she stopped.

Either way, Sakura's going to find out...and it would only make Syoaran angry at her...

Syoaran would be happy.

If he was happy...she could live...she could live with him being happy.

So Rika turned around...and slipped the note into Sakura's locker.

She rested her palm against the locker stacks...unless she was planning on blasting Sakura's locker open, their fate was sealed.

Sakura and Syoaran,

not Syoaran and Rika.

Rika gasped as she heard footsteps approaching. Quickly she turned and ran.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~~*~*~*~*~*~~*~*~*~*~*~*~**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Huh? What's this?" Sakura whispered, unfolding a note that had mysteriously appeared in her locker. Suddenly she blushed and almost crumpled it up in her haste to hide the personal declaration of love.

But it was the most precious thing to ever touch her hands...right next to Syoaran, who suddenly appeared as if from no where and held her hands in his.

"I suppose you got the note."

Sakura blushed a deeper hue of crimson "Yes, I did."

"And I mean every word."

"And I love you too."

It wasn't terribly romantic, but to Sakura it was....

Their first kiss happend right by the school lockers, all because of the bravery and unselfishness of a young girl named Rika.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Mr. Terada stopped...he heard sobs.

"Who's there? Are you OK?"

Suddenly the sobs stooped except for a small whimper or two.

Mr. Terada followed the stifled noises...finally finding where they came from.

Rika was huddled against a tree, hidden by the bushes and branches that surrounded her.

She was crying.

"Rika! Are you OK? What happened?"

"N-nothing Mr. Terada." She whispered while trying to clear away her tears.

Mr. Terada sat beside her, draping a comforting arm around the young girl's shoulders.

He just sat there and let her finish crying.

"Will you tell me what is really wrong?"

Rika nodded.

"What?"

"Syoaran Li."

"oooh...I see."

"He loves Sakura...and I had to give her the note...ME...why ME?" she sobbed.

"It's OK..." he whispered...unsure what he could do.

Rika continued to cry. Mr. Terada felt his heart go out to the poor and brave girl. He gently hugged her and let her sob into his shoulder.

Finally her sobs quieted down. He wiped away her tears.

"Love can hurt, can't it?"

Rika nodded furiously "I'm NEVER going to love anyone like that again!"

"hey...hey...don't' say that. Trails are part of life...and they help you grow and become a better person. Syoaran Li may not have been the one for you, but there IS someone out there for you, and you just learned how to love him a little bit more, through this."

Rika nodded, understanding but still resentful.

"I'll be here for you whenever you need to talk, all right?"

"Really, Mr. Terada?" She asked, brightening up a bit.

"Of Course."

Rika nodded, her tears fading into a bright big smile.

"I decided on Chinese Calligraphy."

He smiled back at her "Excellent. I'll teach you! Is tomorrow after school OK?"

"Uh-huh! Thank you so much, Mr. Terada!"

"Call me Yoshi."

"Yoshi." She corrected herself.

He helped her get her things together and saw her safely home.

As he walked back his thoughts drifted once again on the young girl with glistening mahogany hair and deep mahogany eyes...

Of course he resented Syoaran for breaking her heart...but then agian, he was happy for Sakura and her new love, Syoaran.

That wouldn't be possible without Rika's bravery. The girl was smarter, more caring, more giving then anyone he had met before.

The wind blew, cold and biting. He shoved his hands deeper in his pockets and made his way back home, a mix of worry and joy overcoming him as he looked back on the day.

Rika had a long way to go still, but he would always be with her...

"Always, Rika." He whispered. "Always."

((A/N: See, it wasn't so bad...aw...that was so sweet! One of the few fanfics I wrote that I actually like! Please, as always, Review! Thanks!))


End file.
